Former Plymouth solicitor in court accused of sexual offences spanning 26 years

A former criminal defence solicitor from Plymouth has been accused of charges of sexual assault and rape against eight men and a woman in the cells of a police station and a magistrates’ court.

Alan Harris, 71, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of 30 charges including indecent assault, sexual assault, rape and buggery between 1989 and 2015.

Anne Whyte KC, prosecuting, told the jury that the alleged offences took place in the cells of Charles Cross Police Station in Plymouth and at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court.

She said that Harris’s job as a defence solicitor “brought him into contact daily with people, hundreds of them over the years, who were charged with or suspected of criminal offences”.

Ms Whyte added: “It was his job to represent them, it was his job to ensure whatever they had done, they were treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

“It was his job to get the best possible outcome for them, instead he used his professional access to his clients as the opportunity to sexually abuse them, often in plain sight, safe in the knowledge that due to their particular circumstances, they were often impotent to do anything about it or report him at the time.”

Ms Whyte said the custody cells were “places that are designed to deal with criminal offences, not to facilitate them”.

She said many of the complainants were “already institutionalised” in a life of crime and were “utterly dependent” on Harris.

Ms Whyte added: “These individuals were in no position, realistically, to complain about what he was doing – to the custody sergeant, to the judge, who were they going to complain to in a police station or court?

“How were they going to say they had just been raped by a solicitor?”

She said Harris had told one of the complainants that they “owed him favours” and they had been “too frightened” to make a complaint against him.

Harris denies the 30 charges and the trial continues.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...